Antoni Gaudi

The Amazing Antoni Gaudi …

The legacy Antoni Gaudi left to the lovely city of Barcelona is found in works such as Casa Mila (La Pedrera), Casa Batlló, Palau Guell, Parc Guell and his most important and unfinished work La Sagrada Familia.

Antoni Gaudi (1852-1926) was born in Reus close to the city of Barcelona on 25 June 1852.

The latter years of his life were spent living and sleeping in the workshop at La Sagrada Familia.

Antoni Gaudí was hit by a tram in the streets of Barcelona in 1926 and died in hospital. He is buried in the crypt of La Sagrada Familia Catedral.

His work can be seen all over the city and especially in the Eixample district of Barcelona.

As a child he had a natural love of animals and nature which is reflected in his work which contains birds and creatures, mosaics, parabolic arches, cast iron and quirky chimneys.

His work has a fairy tale magic which appeals to people of all ages. Hardly ever do you see a straight line – everything is curved and organic and the effect is stunning. As a young architect he was surrounded by Catalan modernism.

This period in Catalan is called la rexaixenca and was a time when Catalunya rediscovered its glorious past. The rich middle class industrialists of the city commissioned the talented young architects of Barcelona to re-create their golden past.

Antoni Gaudi ~ Casa Vicens

One of Gaudi’s early works was Casa Vicens at Carrer de les Carolines, 18-24, Gràcia District. The house has a Moorish style, built with stone, red bricks and ceramics designed by Gaudi. This private house was built between 1883 and 1888 in the district of Lesseps (not far from the metro and Park Güell).

Casa Mila

If you would like to see all of Gaudi’s works then it’s definitely worth buying a pass. The hexagonal squares and street lights along this very upmarket street were all designed by Antoni Gaudí.

Casa Mila is often referred to as La Pedrera (which means quarry in Spanish) due to its stony appearance.

This tall grey building is one of the most famous Gaudi buildings in the Passeig de Gracia in the Eixample district of the city. Often used for photo shots, the building was used as the backdrop for a video for Barcelona based singer Beth whose No 1 hit ‘Dime’ also finished eighth at Eurovision in 2003.

Due to the uneven shaped walls, La Pedrera was always difficult to furnish as nothing fitted the shaped walls.

Today the house is one of the most important museums in Barcelona and includes Renaissance drawings as well as a collection of modern art. During the summer months this is a great place to come and enjoy drinks and jazz on the amazing rooftop.